One thing I learned from "Imperial Hubris - Why the West is losing the war on Terrorism" is that if there is a war, simply pounding the enemy from the air and destroying his infrastructure won't work at all (See - Somalia, Pakistan, Afghanistan, et al.)
For there to be a successful war, a nation must utterly destroy the enemy's fighting force and all who support it (civilians included). Anything less than that, and you sowed the ground for guerrilla warfare, constant violence and a never ending supply of tin pot dictators coasting off of the old guard.
Of course, successful wars are bloody and monstrous.
As Patton said: "No poor bastard ever won a war by dying for his country. He won it by making other bastards die for their country."
I fear that if North Korea invades, all the US will do is just pound it from the air. Or, like Iraq and Afghanistan, invade but not kill all of the opposition (like it did for the Baath, Sunni and Shiite militias -- or Taliban, tribal militias).
The cancer must be completely removed, lest it metastasize like in Afghanistan or Iraq.
Leaving in any vestige of the enemy's body, even right down to local administrators, only heightens risk for a prolonged and attrition laded conflict.
For there to be a successful war, a nation must utterly destroy the enemy's fighting force and all who support it (civilians included). Anything less than that, and you sowed the ground for guerrilla warfare, constant violence and a never ending supply of tin pot dictators coasting off of the old guard.
Of course, successful wars are bloody and monstrous.
As Patton said: "No poor bastard ever won a war by dying for his country. He won it by making other bastards die for their country."
I fear that if North Korea invades, all the US will do is just pound it from the air. Or, like Iraq and Afghanistan, invade but not kill all of the opposition (like it did for the Baath, Sunni and Shiite militias -- or Taliban, tribal militias).
The cancer must be completely removed, lest it metastasize like in Afghanistan or Iraq.
Leaving in any vestige of the enemy's body, even right down to local administrators, only heightens risk for a prolonged and attrition laded conflict.
